Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) announced today that it has been selected by Porto Digital - a public/private partnership between the Portuguese municipality of Porto, the University of Porto and the Enterprises Association of Portugal – to supply the first CityNet in Portugal. The CityNet program, co-funded by the European Union, is designed to accelerate the deployment of broadband services throughout Europe.

With the new Metropolitan Ethernet Network (MEN), Porto Digital will be able to deliver a new wave of residential and business services, while interconnecting and providing low-cost broadband access to some 50 institutions – including universities, primary and secondary schools, museums, municipalities and municipal Council services – and with the ability to be easily extended in a cost effectively way, due to the fact that the network covers geographically the overall city.

Alcatel-Lucent’s solution includes a carrier class multi-service edge router and new market standard Ethernet Service Switches, managed by a comprehensive carrier grade Service Aware Manager.Alcatel-Lucent Premium Business Partner NextiraOne has deployed the solution this spring working closely with Porto Digital engineers and supported by Alcatel-Lucent technology experts. Network requirements included support for VoIP and the ability to easily connect the various organizations spread over 370 sites.

The implemented solution uses Layer 2 services like virtual private LAN services (VPLS), which makes it easier to deploy the network, connect new services, and it’s more transparent when it comes to integrating new users onto the backbone. In the future, the solution provided will also allow the connected sites to reduce their telecom costs and deliver a greater range of broadband services to the citizens, students and businesses of Porto.

“The City of Porto has always been recognized for being a pioneer and irreverent city. The implementation of this project, leverages on the Alcatel-Lucent technology excellence and is a clear signal for a even stronger affirmation of Porto as and innovative city,” said Vladimiro Feliz, chairman of the board of the Associação Porto Digital and city councillor for innovation. The optical Metropolitan Ethernet Network is an essential infra structure to increment the city competitiveness at a global scale in order to make attractive for people, services and investments, contributing as well for the global city management and the promotion of info inclusion.”

“Porto Digital joins a number of other European cities who have implemented CityNets, driven by Alcatel-Lucent, in an effort to bridge the digital divide between its citizens,” said Olivier Picard, president of Alcatel-Lucent’s Europe and South activities. “The new network will ultimately provide lower communications costs and a wider range of broadband services to city institutions and their users. It will also be fundamental towards increasing the efficiency of the municipality and overall competitiveness on a global scale.”